By Category

Ranking the Packers' Contract-Extension Priorities Now That Rodgers and Matthews Are Done

Now that the Green Bay Packers have officially come to terms on long-term contract extensions with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and linebacker Clay Matthews, the time has come to ask, "Who's next?"

According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, among other sources, the Packers are approximately $13.5 million under the salary cap for 2013.

"They will need about $5 million to $6 million to sign their draft choices and undrafted free agents, leaving them with about $7 million to use on contract extensions to 2014 free agents such as cornerback Sam Shields, nose tackle B.J. Raji and wide receiver James Jones if they wish," writes Silverstein.

The Packers can carry over salary cap space to 2014 if there is room left over, but it's possible the Packers sign at least one more player before the start of the season if for no other reason than the security it provides by not having to compete against other teams on the free agent market.

The following players whose contracts are scheduled to expire following the 2013 season are ranked based upon my perception of the Packers' priorities to keep them in Green Bay. Whether or not it's in the each particular player's priority to stay in Green Bay or test free agency is another matter.

1. Defensive Lineman B.J. Raji

Just because the Packers added another defensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft in Datone Jones doesn't mean they can afford to let Raji go. Jones and Raji are two very different players. As general manager Ted Thompson will tell you, there just aren't that many men with the size and athleticism of Raji on this planet.

Considering that Ryan Pickett is also scheduled to become a free agent after 2013, the Packers can ill afford to lose two players over 330 lbs. in one offseason. They can always go back to the drawing board in the 2014 NFL Draft, but relying upon a rookie is a risky proposition, as is looking for a replacement in free agency.

Seeing as David Dunn is the agent for Rodgers, Matthews and Raji, he did a pretty good job at leaving some salary cap space left over for the third of his Packers' clients.

A compelling argument can be made that Raji has underachieved ever since the Packers' Super Bowl season in 2010, but he played very well in the second half of last year following an ankle injury that forced him to miss two games at midseason. Barring a serious injury, you can bet that some team in the NFL would be very willing to offer Raji a lucrative contract if he were to reach free agency no matter what kind of season he has in 2013.

At 26 years old, the Packers would probably be making a mistake to let Raji walk without at least making him a competitive offer.

2. Safety Morgan Burnett

When the Packers didn't add any player at safety in the recently completed NFL Draft, it left the position as perhaps the thinnest of any on the team. At some point, the Packers may add a veteran free agent for purposes of depth, perhaps even courting Charles Woodson, but that will do little to secure the long-term future at the position.

Beyond Burnett, the only other players with any experience on the Packers' roster are M.D. Jennings, Jerron McMillian and Sean Richardson, all of whom show promise but have little to show for it at the NFL level.

Burnett has been an ascending player ever since coming into the NFL as a rookie. And considering that former high-round safeties drafted by the Packers like LeRoy Butler, Darren Sharper and Nick Collins waited to really blossom until their fourth year in the NFL, Burnett may just be coming into his own.

He'll be another player sure to garner interest on the free agent market, and the Packers might be wise to offer him a contract now before his asking goes up if he has a solid season.

3. Cornerback Sam Shields

When Shields didn't sign an offer sheet with any other NFL team by the Apr. 19 deadline, it ensured he would be in Green Bay for at least the 2013 season. He still has yet to sign his one-year tender offer, however, and it's possible that Shields signs a multi-year deal before the start of the season.

Just 25 years old, it's also possible Shields could sign a modest two- or three-year deal and still hit free agency one more time in the prime of his career.

The Packers have a lot of depth at the cornerback position between Shields, Casey Hayward, Tramon Williams, Davon House and by adding Micah Hyde in the NFL Draft, but considering the way Williams hasn't been able to overcome his shoulder issues the past couple seasons, Shields becomes even more of a priority.

Shields is arguably the fastest player on the team, and while he hasn't been a ballhawk, his coverage skills are among the best on the team. Letting him go him go would be another risk, but you can bank on agent Drew Rosenhaus getting as much money for his client as humanly possible.

4. Wide Receiver James Jones

To see a player like Jones so far down this list might imply he's not a priority to re-sign, but that's simply not the case. For a player who had his best season in the NFL last year and led the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns, Jones is finally cashing in on the potential he showed for years ahead of time.

One thing preventing Jones from being a higher priority is the depth at the wide receiver position with the highly productive Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson also being effective targets for Aaron Rodgers.

Granted, in Mike McCarthy's spread schemes, it's important for Rodgers to have as many weapons as possible. But at 29 years old, Jones is also the oldest player among the top five this list and the player most likely to see Father Time to catch up to him.

The Packers might be more willing to sign Jones to a two- or three-year extension rather than a four- or five-year deal.

5. Tight End Jermichael Finley

One of the reasons Finley signed a two-year contract before the 2011 season was so he could reach free agency once again in the prime of his career. He probably won't let that opportunity pass him by.

As our own Zach Kruse outlined in a post a few weeks ago, placing the franchise tag on Finley very likely isn't an option (however, it is an option for some of the other players listed above). And continuing to pay Finley a contract in the range of $8.5 million is going to be difficult for several reasons:

A) The Packers also have several other players fighting for the same chunk of money as listed above. And B) Finley's production compared to other NFL tight ends hasn't been commensurate with this salary. His 61 receptions ranked ninth among players at his position last season and he only found the end zone two times.

In allowing Finley to leave, however, the Packers' would be losing another top target just one season after losing Greg Jennings to free agency. That would put a lot of pressure to find Aaron Rodgers' another receiving weapon in next year's NFL Draft.

The following list of players also have contracts that expire following the 2013 season, but the Packers most likely will let the season play out before deciding to re-sign any of them.

Center Evan Dietrich-Smith

Playing under a one-year tender offer, Dietrich-Smith enters a prove-it season. If he can take a leap forward and effectively protect Aaron Rodgers and be the quarterback of the offensive line, he'll boost his value. Dietrich-Smith would make sense for a mid-season extension if he proves he deserves it.

Tackle Marshall Newhouse

Newhouse enters 2013 as the most critical season of his career. Either he'll cement himself as the Packers' current and future left tackle, or the Packers will move on to find other options. Either way, they don't figure to make a decision on his future until a later date.

Fullback John Kuhn

At 30 years old, the Packers must decide how they feel about John Kuhn and the fullback position in general. Following the NFL Draft, they have a stable full of ball carriers and no longer need Kuhn to touch the football. They need a jackhammer of a fullback if they choose to continue to keep one on their roster.

Defensive Lineman Mike Neal

Neal took a step forward in 2012 by staying relatively healthy and productive, but not so much that he's a given to stick around. The addition of Datone Jones puts pressure on Neal to perform.

Defensive Lineman C.J. Wilson

Wilson might be a cheap alternative to Ryan Pickett as a designated run-stuffer if he can continue to make strides.

Defensive Lineman Ryan Pickett

As the oldest player on the Packers' roster, Pickett doesn't have many years left. But they might welcome him back on a one- or two-year deal if he comes on the cheap.

Quarterback Graham Harrell

Harrell isn't a sure bet to hold off B.J. Coleman this season, let alone in the future.

Linebacker Jamari Lattimore

Lattimore was voted a postseason special teams captain by his teammates last season, showing his leadership and team-first attitude are perhaps his best qualities.

Linebacker Rob Francois

Francois will reportedly get an opportunity to start this season, but he hasn't shown he can be anything more than a part-time fill-in yet.

Running back James Starks

After taking Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin in the NFL Draft, there might be only one roster spot available between Starks and Alex Green in 2013, and even that isn't guaranteed.

Tight end Andrew Quarless

Before the Packers decide on Quarless' future, they first have to determine if he's over a devastating knee injury suffered in 2011.

Defensive Lineman Johnny Jolly

After three years away from football, Jolly is a long shot. He has a ton to prove between now and the end of training camp.

Tight end Matthew Mulligan

Whether the Packers have any interest in keeping Mulligan will depend upon how he performs as a blocker during the 2013 season.

I guess it depends on which players want their money now and are willing accept slightly below market value and what players are willing to risk injury but get to the big payday of free agency. The Packers really only have room for one more deal so it would seem that create some competition between players who want their pay-day now rather then later. TT has a number for each player and if the first priority says no thanks he moves to the next player. One of the first four you listed will take the offer.

The franchise tag is also a component that has an effect on both sides willingness to be flexible. DT and S are cheaper options for the Packers to use the tag. Cornerback is very expensive. The looming tag may push Raji into taking a deal lower then he could get in two years. The CB tag may also make Shields a priority for TT.

My guess is Shields deal gets done soon and it will be a 2-3 yr deal. Raji gets the tag if they can't close a deal after next season. But, Burnett could play Raji out of the tag if he becomes an elite S. Finley would have to have a monster year to get the tag or a new contract. I get the impression the Packers would rather part ways with him.

Really? I very much get the impression they definitely want to keep him! They had a perfect opportunity to release him this offseason and save almost 9M in cap space yet they gave him his bonus and guaranteed this year he would be in GB. Reports sd they were trying to work out an extension before his bonus. Nothing about that indicates they want him out of town. Quite the opposite actually!

I'm just curious to see what kinda coin B.J. is looking for, and what he will end up getting. He's not been all that impressive of late, but, I'm sure his agent will attribute that to the high % of snaps he's been asked to play. I definitely think he is the priority as Pickett's play will likely start to decline in the not too distant future. You just can't let your big fat fatties walk...

That's a good point about the tag # for a safety, Howard. And considering Burnett has been good but not great, I think a tag of him makes the most sense. Gives the Packers more time to evaluate him.

I'd put Shields #1 on this list and do expect a deal to get done sooner than later.

Assuming he doesn't fall off a cliff this season, I'd also expect Pickett to come back at a much more reasonable number, which will free up a few million to put toward Raji, who already has a pretty big cap number, so any extension shouldn't increase it by that much (if at all).

Guys like Newhouse and Neal and EDS should be able to be retained for relatively cheap deals, if the Packers so desire.

Evan - good point on Raji's current cap number. It's at $6.6m. They could give him a nice deal and it would keep his cap number the same or reasonably higher. That would leave room for Shields/Jones this season (probably during the bye week) and leave the tag for Burnett if needed.

We are in the zenith days of #12, which may mean that, like Farve before him, he will have to make do with lesser targets to a degree. James Jones wants to be a #1, and he will want to be paid like a #1 after this year. He will probably end up doing it elsewhere if any of the receivers not named Cobb, Nelson or Jones shows any promise.

Shields has been in talks, and my gut is they get it done with him sooner than later.

Raji and Burnett - my gut is that one of them will get done when Tramon Williams comes off the books, and the other will get tagged.

EDS and Finley - two guys whose replacements could have been drafted but were not. I agree with Brian's take on those two.

To state the obvious, it depends on his production. His drops were way down last year, and his TD production was phenominal. If he gets a few more balls this year and otherwise looks as good as he did last year I think he will get #1-type money. He's not going to get top-10 receiver money ($9M+ a year), but he could easily be in the next tier down.

Quarless and Sherrod are the lynchpins in everything going forward. I really think Q could break out this season, and Sherrod, if finally healthy, could make their planning along the line much less difficult.

Quarless hasn't played ina year and half. And when he did play it was far from stellar. He a was quite unimpressive. It would be a pipedream to think he would be anything more than ordinary after the injury and so much time off.

Sherrod is as much or more up in the air. Maybe in '14 but I don't see it this year.

Quarless practiced last season, so he didn't really have the whole year off from football. It's not like he went to jail, like Jolly. As for Sherrod, if he doesn't come back this year, he ain't coming back.

Flanagan had 3 surgeries due to his IIRC. And it seems Sherrod is much improved. Hopefully he'll be able to comeback strong, but IMO it might take nearly a year to knock the rust off and really have confidence again. We'll see, but as long as he's making progress they'll keep him around and give him every chance to become the player he can be.

Didn't realize you were at practice and saw exactly what Quarless was doing. Seems the reporters that were there got it all wrong about him working on the scout team. He was doing individual work! Silly media.

The only reason he was put on IR was that his knee swelled back up. He apparently has added strength in order to be an even better blocker, and before his injury in 2011, he was already the best blocking TE we had. There's no reason to think he can't improve his receiving skills this season and take over as starter when Baratz talks Finley into ditching town. Your dislike of the guy makes no sense. He could be really good. Might even pay his child support, who knows?

Notice the part about PROBABLY?... That's the progression when a guy comes off PUP. Does individual drills till proves can handle that before they move on to any team practices! If he had swelling immediately after coming off PUP, it probably came from individual drills. Even if he had limited team practices it wasn't regularly due to the swelling. Either way any actual team practices were very limited.

I like Quarless, and he is a good blocker and our best in-line TE. Really good blocker and can catch dump off passes, but in his year and 1/2 of games played, he rarely if ever made plays in the passing game. Catching dump off passes isn't showing anyone he can make plays in the passing game.

I respect Quarless for what he is... Good in-line TE, blocker and dump off receiver. He simply hasn't shown an ability to separate and makes plays downfield in his year and 1/2 on the field. That's not hating him its being realistic. When he shows anything more I'll be as happy as you for him and the Packers. But to date that hasn't happened.

Instead of being a dick about it, maybe you could try reading instead of acting like a child and having a tantrum!

The reports were that he was working with the scout team. It wasn't individual work. His knee started swelling AFTER HE WAS ACTIVATED FROM THE PUP, so it was after he had shown himself healthy enough in the 3 week window that his knee began to swell. What part of that do you not understand?

As for his production, he was a rookie in 2010 and was stuck behind a finally healthy Finley for all of 2011, so of course he wasn't going to light up the stat sheet. It's not til year 3 that most receivers really take "the leap," so he's missed out on his big opportunity thanks to the injury. It's silly to assume you know what kind of player he is based on limited reps in years one and two. Could you be right? Sure, but he was a big-time receiving threat in college, and I'd be willing to bet he didn't just forget how to catch.

He can't practice on PUP. He can't even get on the field on PUP, as far as I know. Basically on PUP he is confined to the training room. What I found indicated he got off PUP and was getting swelling almost immediately after. Either way he had very limited time on the field before going on IR.

Packers got Finley on the field and tried to get him the ball some as a rookie. They didn't do anything like that for Quarless. In the year and 1/2 he had on the field they didn't seem to make it a point to use him as anything other than as a blocker and release valve. That kinda tells you what they think of his ability as a receiving threat.

Okay, now I realize you're just clueless. Do you get how PUP works? After 6 weeks, the team has a 3 week window where a player can practice, so that they can gauge whether to activate them to the roster or put them on IR/release them. The Packers let him practice the full 3 weeks with the team, then activated him during the bye week to the active 53 man roster. The following week, in the lead-up to the game, his knee began to swell and they shut him down. DO you get it now? He practiced for almost a month.

As for your point about Finley's rookie year, you're clueless again. Finley was targeted 12 times as a rookie, and had 6 catches for 74 yards, Quarless was targeted 33 times as a rookie, with 21 receptions for 238 yards. So much for them trying to get Finley involved...

Now, if your beef with Quarless was that his knee injury was too catastrophic for him to be the same, then you might have a point. But you're saying he hasn't touched a football in a year and a half(false) and that he's not shown as much promise as Finley did early in his career(false). NOTHING YOU ARE SAYING HOLDS UP WHATSOEVER, SO JUST WATCH TRAINING CAMP AND FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS.

I don't remember him making any plays in the passing game other than dump off passes. He's a good blocker and good at being a release valve, but as far as making plays when called on as a primary receiver it hasn't happened that I can remember. Hope he can shake the rust off and start actually making plays in the passing game in more than a blocking/release valve role.

If it is in the "TT's crumbs" category, yes. I think Neal-Raji-Jones would be a fantastic front. Seems like Neal and Jones could fill a similar role. The Pack could get by with Worty/rotation-Raji-Jones as well.

My opinion is that the rest of the NFL is still catching up to TT in that you pay for QB and pass rusher big time, then a few more at the next tier; but most below that. WR's; RB's; etc aren't going to command premiums like they used to. Sure some team will always scarf up if they think they're the missing link, but rookies and low cost vet's will become the norm. Neal won't get $6M.

Raji is priority. And then Jones. I think we are super solid at corner. I am still a little shocked about no safety being drafted this year. Not cool. I think this Might be tramons last year. I think matthews and Collins made him look much better than he really is. But he has another chance to prove me wrong this year.

Have you been on sabbatical in the Himalayas the last 10 months?? The second half of last season was likely the best stretch of Raji's career. Not to mention he's played FAAAAR too many snaps for a big man...playing large portions of games with no gas in the tank. That's not his doing.

It's astounding to me that so many people (in the world...not just here) have such strong opinions about matters they CLEARLY have no real understanding of.

The problem with Raji is I expect he will want way more from the Packers than what the market would actually pay him. Like he will want 11 mil per year from the Packers but end up taking 7.5 mil from another team.

Wanting big money is not what you said though. You said he'd want big money from the Packers but would take less from other teams. That's a very specific accusation that I don't believe has any basis in reality.

Ah I see the misunderstanding. I meant in extension talks he may value himself way higher than what he really is. The Packers would then let him hit free agency where he could quickly find out his value is much lower. I am not implying he would take less money toplay somewhere else. It is pretty rare for a player to come back after finding out his real value like James Jones did.

Raji isn't going to insist on $11m per year. The franchise tag will be around $9m per year next year for a DT. Why wouldn't the Packers just tag him for a year rather then pay him $2 more then the tag? The market rate for top-tier DT's is $8-$9m per year. That's were any Raji contract will land. The length and guaranteed money are the real sticking points in most negotiations in the NFL but the per year rate is almost always fairly well fleshed out before they even start.

Josh Boyd will help us appreciate the play of BJ, as if Jerel Worthy didn't. Raji would be a difficult man to replace. He is a true two-gapper. Not a lot of glory in that job, but when you see your ILBs getting smacked by guards 4 yds past the LOS, you want a guy like BJ.

While I have advocated for Shields to be extended since the end of the season and he will get it. I wonder if TT will just put out to the respective agents the ballpark of money that he sees a player to be at, then let the players humbly accept it, or the player can wait and watch the remaining cap go to those that do accept their number.

I don't see TT using the tag, like, almost never. Corey Williams cap and trade was an anomoly. If a player wants to play for the money TT and RB have available, then GB is the place to be. If not, they quietly let the contract expire. No drama.

Quote

"I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious."